January 14, 2026
No goals, no scrolls
Show HN: Digital Carrot – Block social media with programmable rules and goals
The app that locks fun till you hit goals — dev teases open-source while HN debates pay vs free
TLDR: Digital Carrot blocks your social apps until you hit daily goals like gym visits or to‑dos. The community is split: open-source dreams vs supporting a paid developer, with spicy requests like an anti‑influencer filter and smart-home “punishments.” It matters because people want real tools to fight endless scrolling.
HN just met Digital Carrot, the app that literally blocks social media and games until you finish your daily goals — gym check-ins via GPS, meditation timers, or clearing your to‑do list. The crowd’s reaction? Equal parts hype and chaos. The founder, newswangerd, dropped a bomb: he wants to open-source it eventually but also needs to pay rent, floating a “source-available now, open later” idea. Cue the classic HN split between “free the code” and “please let the dev eat.”
Meanwhile, feature requests flew like popcorn. One commenter dreamed up a “influencer shield” — block feeds or anyone with 5,000+ followers — sparking jokes about “detoxing from the clout class.” Another wanted an auto-trigger on the first unlock after midnight, aka “Cinderella Mode” for your phone. The spiciest thread? Plugins. Think GitHub goals (reviewing pull requests, aka code changes) and wild home automations via IFTTT (“If This Then That”): turn off the lights or lock the door if you slack. Half the crowd yelled “Black Mirror,” the other half cheered “discipline by design.”
Underneath the memes, people are craving control: cut screen time, earn your scroll, and make your apps a reward instead of a reflex. Digital Carrot might be the guilt‑free gatekeeper the doomscrollers deserve.
Key Points
- •Digital Carrot blocks selected apps, websites, and video games until daily goals are completed.
- •Goals can be created via templates or programmed with a simple script, with progress tracked automatically.
- •Users choose which digital distractions to block; access is unlocked after goal completion.
- •Health goals can be verified using device health data, GPS-confirmed gym visits, and meditation timers.
- •Screen-time and productivity features include time limits, schedules, timers, and integrations with Apple Reminders and Todoist.